Afraid
by SpiceAngel
Summary: "If I was self centred and obsessed with attention, I would tell everyone about him-" Rachel's life is threatened and the glee club can only watch. Can anybody help her before it's too late? Summary sucks, give it a chance. Rated T cause I'm cautious.


PROMO

"_I just walked into a door."_

"_That's the oldest excuse in the book."_

"_That's crap!"_

"_None of you like me! You're just fishing around for new gossip!"_

"_You have to tell us!"_

"_You give love a bad name!"_

"_He'll kill me."_

"_I thought you cut him off!"_

"_He found your boxers."_

"_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?"_

"_I'll find a way. I always do."_

"_It's Finn!"_

"_How could you do this?"_

"_Because of you, I am afraid."_

"_I'm going to make you pay!"_

"_SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_

"_She's not breathing."_

CHAPTER ONE

All around the glee club choir room singing was going on. Some were dancing at the same time, some were doing scales.

Where was Rachel? Walking through the door, a hat pulled down over her face.

When she didn't join in singing, the group stopped and stared at her.

"Rachel?" Mercedes asked confused. "Why aren't you singing over the top of us?"

"Oh, I'm not in the mood." Rachel mumbled, still hidden behind the hat.

"Are you feeling okay?" Asked Quinn, totally serious.

"And what's with the hat?" Asked Tina. "The only time I've seen a hat pulled down that low is the time my mum walked into a pole and didn't want anyone to see."

Rachel flinched.

Santana flounced over and took off the hat. Beneath Rachel's perfectly curved left eyebrow was a black eye.

A gasp went around the room.

"Look, it's nothing, okay? I just walked into a door." She mumbled.

"That's the oldest excuse in the book. I know what that excuse is for. It's when your boyfriend is hitting you and you're too scared to tell anyone." Puck retorted.

"Well, I don't have a boyfriend and my dad's are totally against violence of any sort. I'm not even allowed to kill mosquitoes. So just lay off, okay?" Rachel snapped as she snatched her hat back from Santana.

"We can't lay off." Finn spoke up from the corner of the room. "You don't get a bruise like that by accident. Rachel, we're the closest friends you've got. Just tell us what happened!"

Will walked in and the first thing he saw was Rachel's eye.

"Rachel, who did this to you?" Will asked softly.

"I just walked into a door." She answered firmly.

"That's crap!" Argued Finn.

"Rachel, just tell us!" Pleaded Mercedes.

"What happened?" Asked Sam.

"Who did this?" Asked Quinn.

"All of you, _shut _up! I don't need to say anything to you!" Rachel yelled and stood straight up. "None of you like me! You're just fishing around for new gossip. What does it matter how I got this? You think I'm just walking talent, but I'm not! I am a person, a person who hates you bagging my clothes and ganging up on me. If I was self centred and obsessed with attention, I would tell everyone about him."

Rachel stopped short.

"So it _is _someone." Artie said finally.

"Rachel, you have to tell us." Sam persisted.

"No I don't! I don't have to do anything."

"Guys, lets just drop this for now, okay? This week, I'm going to pick a few people and they're going to have a song dedicated to them. Then I'm going to get the rest of the club into pairs to sing songs about them. One person to a pair."

The group looked around at each other.

"The people who are going to be sung about are Finn, Artie, Sam and Rachel." Will directed the four to the corner of the room.

"Oh, that's totally unpredictable." Rachel said sarcastically.

"Santana and Quinn will be working together." Before Will could say another pair, Santana cut in.

"Normally I'd hate this but we have the perfect song to sing to Rachel." Santana said, looking at Quinn.

Rachel huffed.

"That's great. Puck and Mike, you can work together. Mike, you don't have to sing if you don't want to."

"I won't Mr Shue but we already know we want to sing to Finn." Mike grinned with Puck.

"Lauren and Brittany, you can work together. Which leaves Tina and Mercedes."

"We'll take Sam." Said Tina. The group started at her, including Mercedes.

"Which means Artie goes to Brittany and Lauren. The pairs can work on their songs and you four," Will pointed to the group. "We'll work on some scales."

The next glee club practise came quickly.

"Any luck finding out if Rachel is dating someone new?" Finn whispered to Puck. Puck shook his head.

As soon as Mr Shue walked in, Mike and Puck stood up.

"We have our song for Finn, Mr Shue."

"Go ahead, guys." Will gestured.

"This song is for Finn. It's about how he treated Rachel." Puck announced.

"I deserved what I got, ya da ya da. I know you all side with Finn, so stop rubbing it in my face." Rachel said, surprisingly calm.

"Just listen Rachel. The song does the talking." Replied Mike.

"_She's __shot through the heart and you're to blame_

_You give love a bad name_

_An angel's smile is what you sell_

_You promise her heaven then put her through hell_

_She cries chains of love got a hold on me_

_When passion's a prison you can't break free_

_Oh! You're a loaded gun, yeah_

_Oh! There's nowhere to run_

_No one can save her_

_The damage is done_

_She's shot through the heart and you're to blame_

_You give love a bad name_

_(Bad name)_

_She plays her part and you play your game_

_You give love a bad name_

_(Bad name)_

_Hey, you give love a bad name_

_She's shot through the heart and you're to blame_

_You give love a bad name_

_(Bad name)_

_She plays her part and you play your game_

_You give love a bad name_

_(Bad name)_

_You give love, oh!_

_You give love_

_You give love_

_(Bad name)_

_You give love_

_You give love_

_(Bad name)_

_You give love_

_You give love_

_(Bad name)_

_You give love_

_You give love!"_

Everyone cheered except Finn and Rachel.

Finn just stared at Puck and Rachel looked all around the room, worried.

"That was an amazing song. You did that well. Anyone else want to go?"

"Me and Lauren." Said Brittany. "I've been worried about your depression and hopefully this will bring you out of it."

"What depression?" Asked Artie, confused.

"Denial." Brittany stated. "That's the first step."

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting through the wind

Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin

Like a house of cards

One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep

Six feet under scream

But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you

Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light

And let it shine

Just own the night

Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework

Come on show 'em what your worth

Make 'em go 'Oh, oh, oh!'

As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework

Come on let your colors burst

Make 'em go 'Oh, oh, oh!'

You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space

You're original, cannot be replaced

If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed

So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow

And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light

And let it shine

Just own the night

Like the Fourth of July

Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

It's always been inside of you, you, you

And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework

Come on show 'em what your worth

Make 'em go 'Oh, oh, oh!'

As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework

Come on let your colors burst

Make 'em go 'Oh, oh, oh!'

You're gunna leave 'em goin 'Oh, oh, oh!'"

After tons of the applause, Artie rolled up to Brittany.

"Brittany, that was amazing!"

"What was amazing? I drank an entire slurpie in one minute before performing and now all I can remember is tons of bright lights and a cat licking my face."

CHAPTER TWO

In the school hall, Finn watched Rachel on the phone.

"No-one saw. No, no one knows it's you. I swear. Please, just..." Rachel glared as a hang up tone came from the phone.

Puck came up to Finn.

"I know you're totally mad at me but this is not what you do to find out who it is." He spoke like a teacher.

"Then how do you?" Finn snapped.

"Like this."

Puck walked up to Rachel and took the phone from her. He looked through her phone and saw who it was.

He looked up at her in shock. When she ran home, he followed her.

In Rachel's head, it was slow motion. Puck was there in her bedroom talking to her. She got up and pointed to the door, trying to get him out.

He argued with her and refused to leave. She hit against his chest weakly and he put his arms around her as she began sobbing into his jacket.

Then it sped up back to normal speed.

"You have to tell someone." Puck spoke to her softly but firmly.

"I can't. He'll kill me. You can't tell anyone either." She sobbed.

"I won't let him near you again." Puck promised. Rachel looked up into his eyes. He brushed back a hanging bit of her hair.

In the next glee practice, Rachel wasn't there.

"Does anyone know where Rachel is?" Asked Will.

"Puck does." Announced Finn. "But he won't tell."

"I don't know where she is!"

"I'm here." Said a small voice. Rachel, wearing big movie star glasses and a big sunhat, walked in.

"Rachel, take off the hat and the glasses." Said Will.

"Why?" She tried to laugh.

"Rachel." Will spoke softer.

"I'm fine. Who's next in dedications?"

"Tina and Mercedes." Will let himself be distracted.

The two girls got up.

"What's somebody like you, doin in a place like this?

Say, did you come alone, or did you bring all your friends?

Say, what's your name, what you drinking

I think I know what you're thinking

Baby what's your sign, tell me yours I'll tell you mine

Say, what's somebody like you doing in a place like this?

(1, 2, 3, 4)

CHORUS:

I'll never be the same - if we ever meet again

Won't let you get away - said if we ever meet again

This free fall's, got me so

Kiss me all night don't ever let me go

I'll never be the same

If we ever meet again

Say if we ever meet again

Do you come here much? I swear I've seen your face before (before, yeah)

Hope you don't see me blush, but I can't help but want you more, more

Baby tell me what's your story

I ain't shy, don't you worry

I'm flirtin with my eyes, wanna leave with you tonight

So do you come here much, I gotta see your face some more, some more

Cuz baby

I'll never be the same - if we ever meet again

Won't let you get away - said if we ever meet again

This free fall's, got me so

Kiss me all night don't ever let me go

I'll never be the same

If we ever meet again

If we ever meet again

I'll have so much more to say (if we ever meet again)"

During the applause and cheering, Finn had enough time to grab Rachel's hat and Sam could get her sunglasses without touching her face at all.

Rachel now had a bruise on each cheek. The whole group stared shocked.

"Who did this?" Finn shouted at Puck.

"I thought you cut him off?" Puck said to Rachel, ignoring Finn.

"He found out about us." Rachel whispered.

"What?" Exclaimed Finn.

"You told him?" Puck exclaimed louder.

"He found your boxers." Rachel whispered quieter.

"Who?" Asked Mike.

"You're saying you and Puck finally..." Tina trailed off.

"This might be a good time for our song, Santana." Quinn suggested.

"_Hey girl, you know, you drive me crazy_

_One look puts the rhythm in my hand_

_Still I'll never understand why you hang around_

_I see what's goin' down_

_Cover up with make up in the mirror_

_Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again_

_You cry alone and then he swears he loves you_

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found_

_A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect_

_Every action in this world will bear a consequence_

_If you wade around forever you will surely drown_

_I see what's going down_

_I see the way you go and say you're right again_

_Say you're right again, heed my lecture_

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found_

_Face down in the dirt she said, this doesn't hurt?_

_She said, finally had enough?_

_Face down in the dirt she said, this doesn't hurt?_

_She said, finally had enough?_

_One day she will tell you that she has had enough_

_It's coming round again_

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found_

_Face down in the dirt she said, this doesn't hurt?_

_She said, finally had enough?"_

Puck and Rachel sat next to each other in the choir room. Santana and Brittany watched them talk through the window.

"But aren't you mad that they're like, together?" Brittany asked.

"No. They actually make a cute couple. And Finn's easier to walk on anyways." Santana replied.

"I never knew that _he _of all people would do something like this." Rachel stroked her black eye.

"Don't forget this, and this." Puck moved her hand over to the other bruises. "Just let me kill him."

"Puck, I don't want you getting involved in this. You, him and me are the only ones who know. So just shush up and forget about it. I'll find a way. I always do." Rachel seemed so sure of herself, so certain.

"You're acting stupid, Rachel. Why won't you let anyone help you? Surely your dad's have realised something?"

"They're just glad I've finally taken interest in comically sized hats." Rachel scoffed.

Puck laughed. Rachel closed her eyes and let her head fall on his shoulder.

"It's Finn." Tina announced as she slammed her locker shut.

"What?" Inquired Mercedes, confused.

"Finn is the one that's been hitting her. It's obvious!" Tina explained.

"Why would Puck protect Finn? What proof do you have?"

"I'm going to ask him."

"Like that'll work. You have to get it out of him, take him by surprise. Ask him lots of questions really quickly and then ask him."

Tina nodded, thinking hard.

In the cafeteria, she told Mike her theory.

"I can't believe you think Finn would do this. It's got to be someone else!" Mike proclaimed.

"But its true! He didn't say it. Puck did."

Tina got a flashback.

"Is it Finn who's been hitting Rachel?"

"No." Puck said after hesitation.

Then she went back to the present.

"He said no!"

"He _paused_!" Tina said, as if that was the answer to everything.

"Tina, you know Puck. He would've liked to pin it on Finn but he knows Rachel would hate it. So he was probably weighing it out in his head." Mike explained. Tina groaned as she realised he was right.

"Then maybe it's Puck." She suggested. Mike hit his head against the table.

Quinn and Sam argued by the lockers.

"It's totally Puck." Sam said fiercely.

"I dated Puck. He's not like that. He seems hard core but he's really sensitive inside." Quinn argued.

"Every guy tries to come off that way so that he gets the girl. It's in the frigging guide!"  
>"So now there's a <em>guide <em>to this stuff?" Quinn asked wide-eyed.

"Figure of speech Quinn!" Sam retorted.

More arguing went on between Santana and Finn.

"Aren't we meant to be a couple now?" Santana asked furiously.

"I guess so..." Finn trailed off.

"So that means you agree with me!"

"No, it means that I go on dates with you and kiss you. I don't stop caring about everyone else."

"You're so obsessed with this! Why can't you focus on our relationship and let us girls find out what's happening?"

"Rachel _listens _to me!" Finn retorted.

"Are you kidding? You led her on while you were dating Quinn, broke it off, kissed her, didn't tell her Quinn was pregnant, told the whole group that she told you about Quinn and Puck (Which, by the way, was a decent thing to do since the whole of glee club knew and didn't tell you), half dated her but 'forgot' all your dates, broke up with her because me and Brittany aren't intensely high maintenance, wanted her back as soon as she got a boyfriend, did it with me when you still loved her, constantly got in the way of her and Jesse's relationship, got mad at her over a stupid video clip, sang a love song designed to make girls cheat on their boyfriends, told her you loved her when she was obviously not over Jesse yet, _didn't _tell her that you and I did the nasty last year, chose football over her, went all Jesus Christ without talking to her at all, went crazy when she actually started dressing _well, _didn't trust her when she tried to reassure you about your body, let me be totally mean to her after the wedding, let her get mad enough to make out with Puck for practically three seconds and then basically broke up with her in front of the whole school, none of this mentioning all the times you made her cry. She isn't exactly warmed up to you."

Finn looked at her astonished.

"Girls talk, Finn." Santana said slowly as if she were talking to a baby.

CHAPTER THREE

Next time at glee practice, all the couples sat away from each other. Rachel, still wearing sunhat and glasses, looked from girl to boy feeling horrible.

Will walked in.

"Okay guys. Songs have been sung and they were all great. But if any of the people who were sung about want to sing a song, you're welcome to."

Silence went around the room.  
>"Okay, if songs have been sung, I'll go into my office and try to find something for us to do. It could take a while, so just talk amongst yourselves." Will left the room.<p>

Rachel stood up.

"Can you guys stop fighting?" She pleaded. "I hate being the cause of all this."

Quinn was about to speak up but Becky walked in and everyone fell silent again.

"Coach Sylvester wants to see you." She said, pointing to Rachel.

Rachel turned to Quinn, Santana and Brittany.

"How could you do this?"

Rachel left the choir room without another word.

In Sue's office, she trembled.

"Rachel, could you please remove your hat and sunglasses?" Sue asked softly.

Rachel did so ever so slowly.

"Would you like to tell me how you got those bruises?"

"I just walked into a door."

"Rachel." Said Sue, a little more firmly.

"I really did." Said Rachel, stubborn as ever.

"Was that door in this school?" Sue asked craftily.

"The door wasn't in school at the time." Rachel answered carefully.

"Rachel, violence against women is no joke and you can't get through it alone. I never thought I'd say this but glee club has a purpose here."

Rachel got up and walked away.

The bell rang as Sue entered Will's office.

"Hello Sue. Is there something you want to talk to me about?" Asked Will, not looking up.

"Why the hell didn't you do anything about Rachel Berry?" Snapped Sue.

"I don't see why that's any of your concern, Sue." Answered Will calmly.

"If the cheerleaders in glee club beg me to do something about it, it is my concern William!"

There was a silence while Sue thought.

"Is it _you_?" Sue asked. Will shoved his chair back and stood up, all in the same motion.

"You know what Sue? I've listened through your preposterous ideas. I've stood up for the glee club, trying not to hurt you. But I've had enough now. That you would even think for a _second _that I might do something like that just sickens me! Get _out _of my office Sue." Will yelled.

Sue began to leave.

"I'm sorry, Will. I shouldn't have suggested that." She said calmly.

"No." Will said as he sat down, not looking at her. "You shouldn't have."

Rachel sat on the auditorium, on a single chair. She stared out into the empty chairs. Quinn came up to her from behind.

"Rachel, I'm not sorry I told Sue." She said, just loud enough to frighten Rachel a little.

"Well, you should be."

"But she can help!" Quinn persisted.

"Not for long." Rachel sighed wearily, as if she'd had this conversation just a minute ago. "She can call the police, and they can give him a restraining order, even lock him in jail. But he has to get out sometime. And restraining orders can't keep him back."

"Well," Quinn replied after a while. "you can at least sing about it."

"There is a song that's been on my mind. But the version I want to sing needs another voice."

"I'm sure I can keep up with you somehow."

"_I will not make the same mistakes that you did_

_I will not let myself cause my heart so much misery_

_I will not break the way you did_

_You fell so hard_

_I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far _

_Because of you_

_I'll never stray too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you_

_I learned to play on the safe side_

_So I don't get hurt_

_Because of you_

_I find it hard to trust_

_Not only me, but everyone around me_

_Because of you_

_I am afraid _

_I lose my way_

_And it's not too long before you point it out_

_I cannot cry_

_Because I know that's weakness in your eyes_

_I'm forced to fake, a smile, a laugh_

_Every day of my life_

_My heart can't possibly break_

_When it wasn't even whole to start with _

_Because of you_

_I'll never stray too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you_

_I learned to play on the safe side_

_So I don't get hurt_

_Because of you_

_I find it hard to trust_

_Not only me, but everyone around me_

_Because of you_

_I am afraid _

_I watched you die_

_I heard you cry_

_Every night in your sleep_

_I was so young_

_You should have known better than to lean on me_

_You never thought of anyone else_

_You just saw your pain_

_And now I cry_

_In the middle of the night_

_For the same damn thing_

_Because of you_

_I'll never stray too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you_

_I learned to play on the safe side_

_So I don't get hurt_

_Because of you_

_I am afraid"_

As Rachel sang the last note, she began to sprint out of the room, leaving Quinn behind with a tear in her eye.


End file.
